THE battle for control of Portsmouth took a new twist today when former owner Balram Chainrai threatened the Football League with legal action.

Mr Chainrai, a Hong Kong businessman whose company Portpin claims to be owed the biggest share of the crisis-hit League 1 club’s £61 million debts, went public with efforts to put pressure on the league to consider rival bidders to the Pompey Supporters’ Trust.

The Trust, which is leading a community buyout of the club, is the only bidder that the League will deal with, and is set to take over in the next couple of months if a High Court judge agrees to set aside a charge that Mr Chainrai holds over Fratton Park. It has offered £2.65 million for the ground or £3 million in an out-of-court settlement but Mr Chainrai is seeking £7m to £12 million.

A rival bid fronted by financier Keith Harris would give him £6.3 million for the dilapidated stadium, it emerged today. However, Mr Harris, who has worked closely with Mr Chainrai in the past, has said he will lease Fratton Park for a year because he cannot afford to buy the ground at the moment. It is believed he has offered to pay £1.3 milllion a year rent and buy the ground for £5 millon when he has the funds.

But the Football League has now said three times that it will only give the club, which is bottom of League 1 after suffering two administrations and two relegations since winning the 2008 FA Cup, to the Trust because of the shortage of time. Under League rules, Pompey must come out of their already year-long administration by June or the club will be liquidated and expelled from the world's oldest professional football league.

Its stance has infuriated Portpin, which said in a statement today that it believed the League was unlawfully limiting the abillity of Pompey's administrators, insolvency specialists PKF, to secure the best terms for creditors.

"It is also likely that if the League does not make clear that it will consider any bid put forward by the administrator in accordance with its own charter, it will leave itself exposed to legal action for damages from creditors which could amount to millions of pounds.," the statement said.

Portpin called on Football League chairman Greg Clarke to clarify whether other bids would be considered.

But a source close to the negotiations said: "The League has taken copious legal advice on this and won't budge."

It is understood that Portsmouth City Council, which has offered the Trust a £1.45 million loan to buy Fratton Park, has also been threatened with legal action but has stood firm, confident in the legal advice it has received.

Football League chairman Greg Clarke

After more than a year of uncertainty, this process must be brought to a close.

A spokesperson from Portpin

Mr Harris, whose stockbroking firm Seymour Pierce went into administration a day after he launched a bid for Pompey, has offered to give fans 15 per cent of the club. He has denied claims that he is working as a front for Mr Chainrai to allowi him to retain control of the club.

A spokesperson from Portpin said: "We have made clear that we are agnostic as to the source of the solution for Portsmouth Football Club and welcome whichever bid offers both the best deal for the creditors of the club and provides the highest degree of certainty for the supporters in bringing Portsmouth out of administration.

"There are now at least two offers for the club, one from the Supporters Trust and one from a consortium which includes Keith Harris, and legally they must both be considered on their merit.

"After more than a year of uncertainty, this process must be brought to a close.

"We are today calling on Greg Clarke, chairman of the Football League, to commit publicly to the Football League reviewing any bid that is put to it for approval by the administrators.

"If Mr Clarke fails to provide everyone with the certainty that is needed on this issue, the Football League will have no option but to accept its share of the responsibility for the damage that could be caused to Portsmouth Football Club, its creditors and the other members of the Football League which may not end up recouping any of the money owed."